Amy Scott

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Scanning labels at the supermarket these days, you're more than likely to spot two hyphenated words, plant-based.

And not just in the food aisle.

Between 2012 and 2018, market research firm Mintel says the number of plant-based packaged goods more than quadrupled.

But what that term actually means isn't always clear.

Adam Clark Estes looked into it at Vox and joins me now.

Adam, welcome to the program.

Like many good stories, this one seems to have started with your personal experience.

Describe what happened.

If I see a label that says that something is plant-based, what does that actually mean though?

Yeah, and a lot of people would like to have a lighter impact on the planet, whether it's through pollution or, you know, waste or carbon emissions.

But if something is plant-based, does that necessarily mean it's better for people or the planet?

What about microplastics, something people are very concerned about these days?

So after doing this reporting, do you have any takeaways, advice for people who want to shop conscientiously?

I've never known how to pronounce that, but I know what you're talking about.

It's for fabrics, right?